Old Dog, New Tricks
by The Golden Duo 22
Summary: SiriusHermione - Returning to London after several years abroad, Hermione has done a lot of growing up. Sirius has noticed this too, but he is about to learn that just because he wants something doesn’t mean he can have it.
1. SIT

**Summary:** _Returning to London after several years abroad, Hermione has done a lot of growing up. Sirius has noticed this too, but he is about to learn that just because he wants something doesn't mean he can have it._

**Authors Note:** _Yes, it's another Golden Duo production! To our regular readers we hope you enjoy this latest foray into the world of FF, to all of you who are new, check out our profile to learn more about us, you may like what you find!

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**Old Dog, New Tricks

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**SIT**

Hermione Granger grunted and heaved her trunk up the last few steps of the tall, imposing building that very few people in the outside world could see. The brick façade seemed faded by comparison to the gleaming white of the buildings that surrounded it, but to her eyes it was a comfortable reminder of just where 'home' was.

After 4 years of living abroad and wrangling dragons with Charlie Weasley, it was good to be back in London. She looked forward to having a day when she didn't have to worry about her hair getting singed or her clothes catching fire. She was free to enjoy her early twenties back where she belonged: with her friends.

Stopping to catch her breath when she reached the landing, she used her forearm to push her heavy mop of hair from her face before turning to look back down at the quiet street. Grateful that nobody was about, she pulled out her wand and silently levitated the trunk before her, making sure her body blocked most of it from public view.

Reaching over it, she opened the familiar door and stepped inside the cool hallway. Not much had changed since her days there, except perhaps the boys had cleaned for her return. She was certain at least Remus cared enough about her to make sure the house was hospitable before she arrived. She hated to think what she would have returned to had he not been living with Harry, Ron, and Sirius.

Sirius.

Well, that was a name she had been trying to erase from her conscious mind. The name, the face, the man himself was a person she was _not_ looking forward to seeing again. Even though it had been 4 years, she highly doubted that the man would cease to affect her the way he had when she had been younger, and more sensitive to his unintentionally-heart-breaking behaviour.

Standing in the foyer thinking, she didn't hear the sound of footsteps behind her, and she gave out a God-awful screech when she found herself flat on her back on the ancient carpeted floor, the breath knocked from her lungs and a much heavier body pinning hers to the floor.

"What in the name of..." a man above her said, pushing himself up on his elbows and looking behind him at the trunk he had just tripped over. He pushed his shaggy hair to one side and she had to blow out of the side of her mouth to keep it from actually falling _into_ her mouth.

"If you don't mind..." she said sweetly, poking the older man in the chest, bringing his attention back to her.

Then she froze.

It was Sirius.

He turned to look back down at her, a familiar glint entering his grey eyes as his gaze swept from the halo of messy curls that surrounded her, down to the top of her breasts that had been plastered to his chest only moments before.

"Not at all darling," he drawled, his hips giving a very definite twist. "Do you?" He smirked when she let out a soft gasp, though she admitted it was more out of surprise than the obvious arousal he wanted her to feel. She was prepared to say something snide, but he didn't give her a chance to respond.

"So were you just in the neighbourhood, or were you here to see someone in particular?" he asked, his voice dropping to a very intimate hush, his face only inches from hers now.

Hermione paused, looking at him closely, before a small smirk crossed her lips. She could not believe her luck. Sirius Black, notorious womanizer, ex-convict turned playboy bachelor, and singular star of her adolescent fantasies did not recognize his own godson's best friend. She would never let him live it down.

Nor was she going to let the payback opportunity pass her by.

"Actually, yes," she whispered, running her tongue sensually across her full lips and lowering her gaze to his lips before slowly bringing her gaze back up to meet his eyes. "Remus."

Sirius blinked above her, caught off-guard for a moment by the fact that the beautiful vixen beneath him was here to see his best friend. She didn't seem like Remus's type at all. This woman was a sex kitten in khaki shorts and a floaty white singlet top, not the normally quiet and bookish sort that the lycanthrope bought home from time-to-time. However, the thought that she belonged to Remus didn't make his semi-hard arousal deflate. In fact, he was more intrigued than ever.

"That old coot? What do you want with him?" he asked, making no move to unpin her body, despite her current squirming.

That small, mischievous smirk returned to her face, making her smouldering eyes crinkle with untold mirth and making _him_ suddenly wish he had worn looser trousers.

"I don't know... he has that certain... _animalistic_ quality I like in a man," she said, her voice dropping to a similar intimate level and turning husky.

Sirius frowned for a moment, trying valiantly to keep his confusion masked as he continued the easy banter.

"Yeah? He's a real wolf in sheep's clothing," he said mockingly, falling behind sarcastic remarks to hide the jumble of thoughts that were invading his often one-track mind at her words.

"Are you teasing my jumpers again, Pads? I thought we agreed that if you mentioned nothing about my fashion sense then I would leave yours alone too," an amused voice sounded behind them.

"Remus!" Hermione cried, scrambling out from Sirius's clutches and flinging herself across the short hall. Remus caught the almost-flying witch with open arms, not even trying to hide his curiosity over what had just transpired in the hall between her and Sirius.

Hermione clung to the older man and sighting Sirius's poorly-masked jealousy in her peripheral, she made a bold decision. Biting her lip she met Remus's eye, winking conspiratorially before reaching high up on her toes. Her lips met his in a surprisingly daring kiss, taking nearly all of them by surprise.

Sirius didn't know whether to be amused by the tiny woman, laugh openly at the look Remus's face, or be completely jealous that his friend had managed to find such an amazing piece of arse. The woman with the halo of chestnut curls and chocolate brown eyes – that held far more intelligence than he could ever imagine – was witty, funny and sexy as hell. He couldn't help feeling a little green with envy.

The witch in dropped back to her hiking-boot-clad feet, looking up at the werewolf with an indefinable expression. Remus grinned at her for a moment, catching what she was trying to do, before turning back to look at Sirius as he draped his arm over her shoulder in an obviously-possessive manner.

"Something wrong, Pads?" he asked mildly as Sirius gaped at him like a goldfish.

"Yeah!" Sirius said, as indignantly as he could standing in the middle of the hall with a raging erection. "Since when did you get a girlfriend?"

Remus was about to say something – Hermione was sure it was to let his old friend in on the ruse – when a loud clattering was heard descending from the upper levels. The three looked up, holding their breath as two sets of stomping feet reached the bottom level.

"Mione!" Harry called, flinging himself from the last few steps and toward the witch who was now smiling so brightly, she could have lit the whole hall with her pearly whites alone. She caught Harry in her arms seconds before Ron joined the mêlée, managing to knock them all to the floor in a mess of limbs, hair, and much giggling.

"'Mione?" Sirius asked, looking at Remus for clarification. The werewolf's smirk was all it took for realization to cross the man's face, and his eyes widened. "Hermione?"

"Hello Sirius," she said from the floor, grinning as Ron helped her to her feet before wrapping his long limbs around her in the most all-encompassing hug he could manage. Harry, not to be outdone, threw his body over the two, effectively locking her between two tall, lithe men.

"It's so good to have you back!" Harry cried, predictably oblivious to Sirius's gaping stare at the young witch.

"It's good to be back," she said with a reverent sigh, looking around the foyer in contentment. "Though I could have done without being bowled over twice within five minutes."

"Twice?" Ron asked, casting Remus an accusatory glance.

Remus put his hands up in surrender.

"I did not do the bowling. Look at him," he said, pointing to Sirius.

Ron arched an eyebrow.

"You bowled her over?" he asked, a slightly possessive arm around her.

"I...er...well..." Sirius stuttered, looking into his godson and Ron's expectant faces.

Hermione smirked again, cocking her head to the side with an expectant arched eyebrow as she waited for Sirius to come up with a plausible enough excuse to make it believable that his intentions with her had been completely honourable. Only she and he knew what he had said and did once he had unintentionally toppled her over, and from the look on his face he was trying to convey to her that he would be infinitely grateful if she didn't say anything to the three men who were more than capable of hexing him into oblivion.

She, of course, was not quite so accommodating.

"He tripped over my trunk as he was racing to get inside," she explained. "Fell right on top of me and would not let me up. He didn't even recognize me. Which reminds me," She looked over at Sirius. "Do you make it a habit of dry-humping every witch that walks through the door?"

Sirius gritted his teeth as mortification swept over him, instigated by the looks on the faces of the three men. Though Remus seemed mildly amused and not altogether surprised by his best friend's behavior, Harry and Ron looked at him as though he had suddenly sprouted three heads, flippers, and a tail.

"You did _what_?" Harry asked.

"I...er...well..." Sirius repeated, feeling the heat rise up his neck.

"I had to tell him I was Remus's girlfriend in order to get him to stop leering at me. And even then I had to claw my way out from under him," Hermione continued, thoroughly enjoying the look of mixed horror and embarrassment on Sirius's face.

"Why did you tell him that?" Ron asked.

"Because I knew it would at least confuse him for several seconds," she replied, laughing slightly as Sirius glowered.

"What are you doing here?" he asked flatly, deciding to bluntly admit that her presence was a complete shock to him and that he demanded her reasoning for entering his home unexpectedly.

"She's back from Romania, Sirius," Remus said, the amusement still apparent in his amber eyes. "We've told you a thousand times that she was coming to live with us."

"No you didn't," Sirius said indignantly, but knew somewhere in his brain that they probably had. He wondered briefly why had hadn't paid more attention to the fact that Harry and Ron seemed much more chipper than usual.

"We did," Harry said, casting his godfather a long look. "Just because you are too busy drinking, gambling, and carousing to pay much attention to us anymore doesn't mean that _we_ have shirked our responsibilities as your roommates."

"I do not gamble!" Sirius said.

Hermione gave a laugh, which shot an unexpected thrill to Sirius's already-throbbing groin.

"I'm glad out of those three choices, you chose to negate the gambling," she said, a sparkle in her eyes that reminded Sirius distinctly of a pair of twins he knew.

"Yeah, well..." was all he could respond with.

"So!" Ron said, choosing to ignore the odd tension between Hermione and Sirius as he turned to the curly-haired witch. "How was Romania? And Charlie?"

"Romania was fantastic," Hermione said, levitating her trunk and charming it to follow her as the illustrious "Golden Trio" headed up the stairs. Sirius jumped out of the way to avoid his legs from being taken out by the heavy object. "Charlie is great. He sends his love to everyone and he wants your Mum to know that he's going to try and make it back for Christmas."

"Well you can tell her yourself because Mum insists you come to the Burrow tonight for some big dinner she's planning," Ron replied.

"I expected no less from Mrs. Weasley," Hermione grinned, linking arms with first Harry and then Ron as they moved toward the stairs, her trunk floating meekly behind them.

"She's been planning it all bloody week. Harry and I went there yesterday and there was enough food to feed an army. She even made you a blueberry pie and she only makes those on special occasions," Ron told her, "Took her three goes till she was happy with it too, mind," Ron told her, his head completely focused, as always, on the feast and not the occasion.

"And I take it you helped her get rid of the other two?" she asked, sharing a grin with Harry and enjoying the easy banter they fell into despite so much time spent apart.

"'Course, it's my duty as her youngest son," Ron stated with a scoffing certainty, causing Harry to reach around Hermione to flick his friend over the back of his head playfully.

Sirius and Remus stood in the hall, watching the trio walk out of view, teasing and joking with each other in the intimate way that only best friends can. Remus was sharply reminded of the way he, Sirius and James used to act, and felt happy that James's son was fortunate to know such friendship, too.

"How could you not recognise her?" he finally asked, smacking Sirius upside the head when Hermione's trunk finally turned the corner and the three were out of earshot.

"Ouch! Oh, come on! The last time I saw the witch she was just out of school and I had a few other things on my mind than cataloguing every finer detail of her appearance," Sirius said, shifting uncomfortably, finding himself more than a little embarrassed under his friend's knowing gaze.

"She bought you back from the Veil and you didn't recognise her," Remus stated, giving his friend a look that conveyed his continued disbelief in his friend's more-that-occasional lack of sense.

"Okay, so maybe I should have recognised her, but Merlin's beard she has grown up a lot," Sirius sighed, looking up the stairs again as the memory of her khaki-clad derrière mounting the staircase filtered through his mind.

"Romania seems to have agreed with her," Remus conceded with a smile, "But don't forget who she is just because her shell is a little more appealing now," he warned, feeling someone had to do it before the animagus got ahead of himself like he usually did when a pretty witch entered his line of vision.

"Sirius, I'm just saying…"

"I know what you're saying, Moony. Hermione Granger is off-limits. I hear you. Loud and clear."

"It's not just that, it's that she's Harry's best friend. There are bigger issues at stake than her just being 'off-limits'. She's not a conquest."

"Who says I want to make her one?"

Remus gave his friend a long look and Sirius sighed.

"I'm not some sixth year with a second brain down south anymore," he said defensively, shoving his hands in his pockets. When Remus gave him a long look, Sirius rolled his eyes. "I'm _not_."

"Fine. You're not."

Deciding he was finished talking about Hermione, or the potential conquest therein, Sirius patted his friend on the shoulder, leading him toward the kitchen.

"I'm famished. Do you think there's any of Ginny's cake still left?"

Remus frowned.

"It's ten o'clock in the morning, Sirius."

"Fantastic! We'll wash it down with a little firewhiskey, eh? After all, I'm sure it's five pm _somewhere_."

Remus merely rolled his eyes and followed his friend down to the kitchen.

***

Dinner at the Burrow was everything Hermione expected it to be. Loud, busy and full of the most amazing food outside of Hogwarts. Nobody put on a feast like Molly Weasley.

"Excellent nosh, Mum," Ron garbled around a mouthful of roast chicken and potatoes, another forkful already halfway to his mouth before he had swallowed.

"Thank you, dear," Molly beamed, turning to Hermione who sat deep in conversation with Bill about recent legislations concerning the care of magical creatures and the Ministry's handling of rogue beasts. Fleur sat beside them looking bored out of her mind.

"Hermione, how was your trip?" Molly interrupted, drawing the attention of most of the table.

Hermione swallowed the mouthful of peas she had just put in her mouth before answering.

"I can understand why Charlie hates it so much," she said with a smile. "I must have been through twenty-seven separate floo networks before I got back to the UK. Next time I think I'm just going to set up a portkey."

Truth be told, the arduous journey by floo wasn't the only reason Charlie didn't return home as often as he should, but she wasn't about to give away all her friend's secrets.

"Poor dear, he always did get travel sick," Molly crooned wistfully, staring off into space as she was known to do when her second eldest son was mentioned.

"Do you remember that time he threw up on the train?" Bill smiled, looking to Fred and George who had obviously witnessed the incident. Molly looked between her sons with disapproval before turning to Ginny to resume an earlier conversation.

"That's right!" George grinned, "Right in poor Tonk's lap."

"Poor girl never got her robes to smell right again," Fred grinned.

"I think I recall her mentioning something about that," Remus added, smiling at the thought of his ex-lover being in any sort of discomfort. She was a sight to behold when angry.

"Didn't a similar thing happen to you once, Moony?" Sirius interjected, bringing the attention of that side of the table.

Hermione had almost let herself forget that Sirius was there, he had been so quiet sitting across from her. She continually dropped her gaze every time he would look her way and had probably been boring the pants off Bill in her efforts to avoid engaging the older man in conversation. Having spent the last few years trying to forget her childhood crush, it had all come back to hit her in the face the moment he landed on top of her in the hall.

"Not one of my finer moments..." Remus said, trailing off as he grinned sheepishly when the Weasley men burst out laughing.

She wasn't paying attention to the conversation as much as watching the play of candlelight on Sirius's aristocratic features. She couldn't deny that he had aged well, filling out from his skeletal appearance upon returning from the Veil, and his skin and hair had returned to their former glory with the aid of frequent and nutritious meals. It was easy to see how he had maintained his playboy status after so many years. Being a cad on top of it, however, was an unfortunate side-effect of the handsome wizard's popularity.

Sirius looked over at the feel of eyes on him, meeting her curious gaze and smirking slightly. Neither had mentioned the events of that morning, although Harry and Ron had been teasing him mercilessly about not recognizing her. Sirius was just glad that the tale had not been repeated to the rest of the Weasley brood, for he feared that should Fred and George find out about his faux pas, or Molly find out about his actions with the girl she considered a daughter, he would surely not leave the Burrow alive.

Or, at the very least, he would _definitely_ not leave with his favourite appendage still attached.

"So Hermione," Remus said, taking a bit of his chicken as he looked down the table with a glint in his eye that Sirius was sure meant trouble for him. "Tell us how you've been enjoying your time back in England."

Catching where Remus wanted the conversation to go, Hermione smirked, avoiding eye contact with the man across from her who was suddenly staring at her with an intensity that would have set her hair on fire should he have had the inclination.

"After Sirius tackled me, you mean?" she joked, and proceeded to go into a long and - in Sirius's opinion - highly dramatized version of events that afternoon. By the end of the story, the Weasley men were laughing hysterically and Molly had murder in her eyes.

"Sirius Black," she said shrilly. "How _dare_ you molest this poor, innocent child as though she were one of the scarlet women you pick up at pubs!"

Sirius bristled.

"I did _not_ molest her," he said, ignoring the self-satisfied smirk that appeared on Hermione's face. "And furthermore, young though Hermione Granger may be, she is _not_ innocent!"

Hermione arched an eyebrow at Sirius as he sat back in his chair, glaring at a fixed point on the wall. Trying to hide the smirk on her face, Hermione leaned forward, silently slipping her shoes off as she propped her elbows on the table, tilting her chin on top of her folded hands.

"You know, Sirius isn't _entirely_ incorrect," she said, again avoiding contact with Sirius as she let her foot slowly graze his ankle.

Her smirk grew slightly as she saw him physically jump.

"Of course, I am _not_ one of those scarlet women he's been known to cavort with," she said. "But I am 4 years older and I suppose an innocent 21-year-old is a bit non-existent in this day and age, if you'll pardon the generalization, Mrs. Weasley."

She continued to spout philosophically, much to the amusement of her friends, but Sirius no longer registered her words. Her foot, which she had removed from her hiking boots and slipped into a pair of worn but attractive sandals, was travelling up his denim-covered leg, massaging the muscles with a dexterity Sirius had never seen before from a woman's foot, but it definitely was not going unappreciated.

"Wouldn't you agree, Sirius?" he heard Remus ask, and he looked up to see the whole table watching him.

He licked his lips nervously.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't quite listening," he said, feeling her foot snake over his thigh.

"Hermione was just telling us how she thinks the youth of today have gone through more than our generation," Arthur repeated. "What with the war and Lord Voldemort's defeat. She thinks that the childish innocence was gone even before any of them entered Hogwarts."

"Well...I..." Sirius stuttered, finding coherent thought difficult as Hermione's big toe made lazy circles on his inner thigh.

"I think there's a lot to be said about our generation's general perception of war," Hermione went on to say, and once again Sirius felt coherence leave him as her foot grazed his budding erection. Even as she spoke, Sirius could see that small, mischievous smirk on her face as she slowly started to run her toes up and down his crotch, massaging the hard muscle that was growing.

"Sirius, do you agree that the only way to bring back the innocence in youth is through an ignorance of war?" Bill asked, turning the attention back to an uncharacteristically-quiet Sirius.

Sirius looked up, a glazed look in his eye as Hermione undid the zipper of his jeans with her toes. Her movements stopped as she waited for him to answer, and he had to will all of his self-control to stop himself from bucking into her infuriatingly sensual foot movements.

"I...er...think war definitely helps to corrupt the innocence of our children," he said. "Among...other things..."

"What type of other things?" Hermione asked sweetly, batting her eyelashes innocently as he toes wiggled into his jeans to graze the soft cotton of his briefs.

He sucked in a breath as her foot moved. Dear God, where did she learn to work her foot like that? And since when was she daring enough to risk Molly Weasley's wrath by giving him the podiatric equivalent of a hand job under the table at _dinner_? And why in Merlin's name was everyone still looking at him?

Oh, the question. What was it again?

"Sirius, mate, are you ok?" one of the twins' voices asked and Sirius gripped the table as Hermione's foot started to tease him with more insistent movements.

"Er...yeah. Why?" he said.

"You look a bit pale. Maybe you should get some air," Harry said, his brow furrowed as he looked at his godfather.

"No, no," Sirius said quickly. "I'm fine. I don't need air."

"Really, Sirius?" Hermione asked, her sweet, innocent tone continuing despite her foot's wicked actions. "I agree with Harry, you're looking a bit pale. Are you _sure_ you don't want to go outside for a bit?"

Right then, her foot made a rapid, slick movement that he him lurching forward in his chair, gripping the table for dear life. Of course, he was not exactly subtle about the action, and Ginny arched her eyebrow as everyone else looked at the animagus with a mixture of amusement and worry at his actions.

"Sirius, I would feel much more comfortable if you went outside for some air," Remus said sternly. "I'll go with you," he offered, getting up.

"No! No, I'm fine...oh God..." he groaned, his grip on the table tightening as his eyes slid closed, Hermione's foot working a particularly tantalizing brand of magic.

Hermione bit her lip and tried not to laugh as half the tables occupants leapt to their feet in concern. She let her foot rub up and down roughly one last time before withdrawing from his lap with a satisfied smirk.

"Oh my, do you think it was the food?" Molly asked meekly, her hand to her chest as she watched Sirius drop his head to the table.

"Can't have been, the rest of us are fine," Percy reasoned, patting his mothers shoulder and shooting the older man at the other end of the table a withering look, as if he somehow knew his behaviour was inappropriate.

"I'm...I'm fine," Sirius practically wheezed, bracing both palms on the worn wooden table and pushing himself upright again. He gave Hermione a funny stare as the Weasley's continued to fuss, their voices melding in to one as the bright young witch stared back at him with challenge and more than a mischievous glint in her eye.

"...all the excitement."

"...might have been the onions."

"...too much firewhiskey mate."

Sirius shot a look to the backdoor, then stared back at her with equal challenge. Hermione gave an imperceptible nod of agreement, both of them standing at the same time. The rest of the room fell still.

"I'll take Sirius outside for some fresh air; I'm feeling a bit flushed myself. We'll be back in time for dessert," Hermione said sweetly, mainly addressing Mrs Weasley who seemed to be near tears at the thought that it could have been her meal that had made Sirius sick.

If only she knew.

Sirius avoided everyone's concerned looks as he followed his tormentor to the front door, praying his loose robes hid his raging erection and knowing that if anyone looked closely enough they would see he was walking just that little bit funny.

Hermione stepped out on to the back step and broke out in a wide grin, staring at him as if he were the world's greatest comedian before following the scattered stone path away from the home. Sirius felt his frustration and attraction to her grow in the light of her brilliant smile - she had known exactly what she had been doing inside and he had a sinking feeling it had to do with more than just his stunt upon her arrival.

Hermione knew he would follow her, she also knew that he expected her to continue where she had left off. He had no idea – and she was certain of this – that her actions at the dinner table was payback for something that had happened in her fifth year at Hogwarts. Of course, the fact that he had come on to her in the hallway of his childhood home earlier that day hadn't helped, but Hermione was known to hold a grudge, and Sirius Black was only just beginning to learn this the hard way.

She stopped when she came close to dark line of trees surrounding the property, turning around to look at the handsome wizard.

"Feeling better, Sirius?" she asked coquettishly, biting her lip as another round of laughter threatened to burst forth.

"What do you think you are playing at, witch?" he asked quietly, not stopping until he stood a hair's breath from her.

"Nothing more than you deserve," she replied cryptically, taking a step back, her smile widening when he followed.

"All this for a case of mistaken identity?" he asked, arching a perfectly shaped brow.

"Oh no, not just that. But it's so much fun to mess with you," she replied, taking another step back. "You're a real sport."

Sirius took two steps forward until her back hit the trunk of an apple tree, knocking her breathless for a moment.

"Am I just?" he breathed, bracing a hand on either side of her head and leaning his face close in to hers.

"Yes," she whispered, licking her lips. "And I think I best leave before this gets out of hand."

Ducking quickly under his outstretched arms, Hermione headed toward the garden gate. She could feel Sirius behind her and was glad when she reached outside the Burrow's wards so she could apparate before he became close enough to latch on to her.

Landing on the top step of Grimmauld Place, she quickly went in, closing the door as she heard a 'pop' outside. Sighing, she headed swiftly down to the kitchen, hoping that she could get down the stairs at a rapid enough pace that he wouldn't know immediately that that was the direction she had headed. She thought she was free as she pushed through the kitchen door, but quickly found herself pinned up against the frame, with Sirius's hot gray eyes burning into hers.

"You didn't think I'd let you go that easily, did you?" he asked softly, his eyes journeying from hers down over her, lingering slightly on her parted lips before skimming her neck and appreciating her heaving breasts.

"Sirius," she said. "I don't think you know exactly what you're getting into."

He arched an amused eyebrow.

"What _I'm_ getting into? Oh no, little witch, I think it's definitely the other way around."

Hermione's heart skipped a beat as she looked up into his eyes, remembering another time he had been this close.

It had been Christmas six years ago, and not a very happy one at that. Harry was having nightmares, Mr Weasley had been attacked by a giant snake, and Sirius was going through an odd batch of cabin fever, having been cooped up in Grimmauld Place for too long.

Hermione, Harry and Ron had all chosen to spend the holidays together, feeling not only the need for comfort in the dark times, but also a need to stick together in case anything else went wrong. The twins, always in good spirits, thought it was also the perfect opportunity to bitch about Umbridge to their heart's content without fear of being caught and sent to detention.

Hermione had been one of the last awake the morning they were due to return to Hogwarts – having overslept after spending half the night chatting to Remus in the library – and had missed breakfast altogether. Luckily, Mrs. Weasley had charmed a plate full of delicious food to stay warm and so Hermione had enjoyed the solitude of the empty kitchen later that morning as everyone else was kept busy with last-minute packing.

Sirius had strolled in – shirtless under his open dressing gown – his eyes still heavy with sleep. She wondered if he had nightmares like Harry and almost felt like giving him words of comfort – that was, if she could unglue her tongue from the roof of her mouth. Only Ginny knew the brain-melting crush she harboured for Sirius Black.

Sirius had gotten himself a mug of coffee and had sat and joked with her about returning to the pink frilly toad at Hogwarts, Hermione had been all stuttering and blushes the whole time. The casual flirtation continued through her breakfast – where she was certain she had missed her mouth several different times while taking bites and listening at the same time – and by the end of breakfast her heart seemed about ready to pound through her shirt.

Sirius had stood and, like a marionette, she had followed. When they came to the kitchen door he suddenly stopped, causing her – who had been suddenly fascinated by the delicious-looking lump of flesh that sat just below his waist and above his legs – to bump into him. He turned to look at her, glancing up at the doorframe with a mischievous smirk.

Mistletoe.

_FLASHBACK_

_"I see you've lured me under the mistletoe, Miss Granger," Sirius said, his charming smile crossing his face as his eyes twinkled with mischief._

_Hermione swallowed hard._

_"I...I didn't put it there," she stuttered._

_He chuckled._

_"Of course you didn't, love. You're much too sensible to be worried about silly trifles like mistletoe. I bet you've never even been kissed."_

_"I have," she said indignantly, realizing too late that he was trying to get a rise out of her and succeeding._

_"You have, have you? Some inexperienced young whelp, no doubt. Some fumbling young third year."_

_"No," she said stoutly. "He was seventeen, and quite adequate, thank you very much."_

_"__Adequate__, was he," Sirius teased, taking a step toward her and effectively pinning her against the door frame. "Well, what would he say if he heard you talking like that about him?"_

_"I...I...oh!" She pursed her lips and frowned, unable to come up with a witty-enough comeback to battle with him at that hour of the morning. Instead she put her hands to his chest and gave a feeble push. She wasn't really trying, but she figured it was as good an excuse as any to feel the hard planes of muscles she had been fantasizing about for months._

_"Eloquent as always, Hermione," he baited, glancing down to where her hands were sitting, motionless, against his chest._

_Looking back up at her, he cocked an eyebrow._

_"And I see you've taken to molesting old men as well as __adequately__ snogging some poor young seventh year..."_

_"It was Viktor Krum," she said hotly. "And he was more than adequate, he was..."_

_"Viktor Krum? The Bulgarian seeker? Well, Hermione you DO get around," Sirius interrupted, that sly smile crossing his face as she flushed._

_"I do __not__ get around! He was my first kiss and..."_

_"Ah," Sirius interrupted again. "If he was your first kiss, how do you know if he was adequate or not?"_

_She opened her mouth to answer but found - not for the first time in Sirius's presence - that she was at a loss for words. Nostrils flaring in anger and mouth pursed tight, she looked levelly at him before opening her mouth to respond calmly and intelligently._

_Well, that was how she had __intended__ to respond._

_"If you're so concerned, why don't you show me how it's done then?" she heard herself say, and she immediately clapped her hands over her mouth as she looked into his surprised face with wide-eyed horror. A slow, self-assured smirk appeared at the edges of his lips, his eyes sparkling with controlled mirth._

_"You want me to kiss you? To show you how it's done properly?" he asked, his voice low and husky as he dropped his face closer to hers._

_Hermione felt her skin heat up, unsure whether she was dreaming or not an discreetly pinching herself to make sure that she was not still in her small bed three flights up with a snoring Ginny next to her. From the pink mark that appeared on her skin, she knew she wasn't dreaming, and Sirius's lips were mere inches from hers. She could feel his breath on her face - smelling like coffee and cinnamon buns - and she felt her eyes slowly drift closed as she moved closer to him._

_Then, she felt a brush of cold air and looked up to see him grinning._

_"Go upstairs, love," he said with a paternal smile, causing Hermione's heart to crash from her throat to her stomach. "No need to tease an old man any further with romantic notions."_

_He gave her a small half-smile and walked out, leaving her panting against the door frame and ruing the day some misguided holiday well-wisher put the mistletoe up in the doorway._

_END FLASHBACK_

Hermione glanced up into the same gray eyes, though this time they were not sparkling with barely constrained mischief. They smoldered with a lust and desire she had wished to see from the moment she had set foot in Grimmauld Place the summer before her fifth year of school. Once again she found herself pinned against the door frame, but instead of a guarded distance, Sirius's body was pressed up against hers and she felt every plane of his muscle and every sharp edge of his body.

His body molded deliciously against hers.

"I remember," he breathed, his breath hot against her skin. "You once wanting me to kiss you. To show you how it's done properly."

"And if I remember," she replied, trying to edge her way into the kitchen but finding herself effectively trapped. "You walked away from me then."

"Biggest mistake of my life, if you ask me," he whispered.

"Oh, I'm sure you can think of a few more."

"Not at the moment, love."

She glanced up into his eyes and felt her body melting. Every fiber of her being wanted to kiss him - to taste the fruit that had been forbidden for so long and to show him what he had been missing - but something within her gave her pause. If she kissed him, she needed to be prepared for everything that happened afterward.

And she had far too much retribution to deal out before she would jump into his bed.

"You lost your chance," she said, once again trying to wriggle out of his grasp. His hands grasped her hips.

"Do that one more time, and my kissing you will be the least of your worries," he growled.

She glanced down, feeling the hard throbbing against her belly, before looking up at him with a smirk.

"Why Sirius," she said flirtatiously, running her hand over his chest. "And here I didn't think you cared."

The growl came deep from the back of his throat and before she knew what was happening, his lips were on hers.

Hermione felt the very breath leave her as Sirius pressed his lips hotly against hers, devouring her as he wrapped his arms around her body. His tongue, probing and curious, begged entrance to her mouth and she - whether by momentary delusion or of her own free will - allowed him access.

He sunk his tongue into her mouth with a groan. It was a purely masculine, almost animalistic sound that she had been waiting far too long to hear. He swept the inside of her mouth, tracing her teeth and gums before finding her tongue and clashing with it in a heated duel. Her nails dug into his shoulders as the intense waves of pleasure swept through her and she felt herself rise onto her toes, trying to get closer to him.

His arms around her waist tightened in response, almost lifting her off her feet as he crushed her to him. She whimpered against him as his tongue pulled back, tracing her lips and moving on to her cheek, tracing a path down her exposed neck.

She felt dizzy and hot, overwhelmed by the single act she had been dreaming about for over six years. Sirius was the proverbial apple of Eden – something she had always wanted but had never been able to taste. She felt her feet lift off the ground as he picked her up and turned them around, her back braced on the wall as he encouraged her to wrap her legs around his waist.

The new angle allowed him to press his hard length against her intimately, his hips giving an involuntary throb as he claimed her mouth once more. Both knew they were going fast; that a one-night-stand between them was probably the worst idea, but neither pulled away. In fact, Hermione threaded her hands through his silky hair and pulled him close still.

Things began to gain intensity, their tongues clashing violently as his fevered hands tugged at her light summer clothing. Hermione could only moan as he touched her in long-forgotten places, his hands working a brand of magic no wand could produce.

"Sirius!" she cried as he tore the buttons from her shirt, his fingers finding her nipples through the thin cotton bra.

"Fuck, you're so hot," he murmured against her neck, deliriously kissing a path toward the swell of her breasts. She writhed against him, feeling his throbbing arousal buck in approval as her skin blazed with an inner fire.

"I-I," she stuttered, her mind shutting down in the face of previously-buried passion. Sirius chuckled at hearing the incoherent tumble, loving the fact that he had caused the brilliant witch's mind to shut down.

"I know, I know," he murmured huskily, ducking his head to swipe one straining nipple through the restraints of the fabric, making her shudder and moan against him.

"Oh God!" a voice behind them screeched, causing a halt to the fevered dry humping.

"Ginny!" Hermione cried, her legs falling to the floor and her arms dropping from his neck as if he burned her.

"This isn't what it looks like," Sirius said before dropping his head to the wall beside Hermione. She stood frozen in front of him.

"Ah..." Ginny began, and he could just imagine the skeptical look on her face.

"It's what it looks like," Hermione confirmed, pushing herself out of his arms and fixing her blouse as she addressed her friend. "Sorry you had to see that, Gin."

"No, no. Not at all," Ginny said, blushing to her roots, before her face transformed in a very twin-like grin. "Actually, Mum sent me to see if you were coming back for dessert, but I see you just had yours."

Hermione made a small choking sound while Sirius groaned and turned to look at the two women.

"Glad to see we didn't kill your sense of humour," he deadpanned. His eyes immediately went to Hermione, who looked as dishevelled as he felt. He wished Ginny would just go away so he could have his wicked way with her friend.

"Nope, just my eyesight," she quipped, turning to Hermione as if dismissing him. "Dessert? Mum made pie."

"Sure," Hermione smiled before looking straight at him with a Cheshire-cat grin. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"But..." Sirius began to protest, not believing she could just switch off and ignore him after that kiss.

"Hope you feel better in the morning. See you Sirius!" she grinned, gripping Ginny's arm as they apparated back to the Burrow.

Sirius stared at the spot they had just been.

He had never been so horny in his entire life.

* * *

_Thanks for reading! Virtual cookies and extra hugs to anyone who can guess what song inspired this fic!_

_Leave us love and let us know!  
_


	2. STAY

_**Authors Note: **__Just a quick thank you for your response to chapter 1. We couldn't be more delighted with your reactions and hope you enjoy chapter 2 just as much. As for the song that inspired this fic, nobody has yet to guess it, so here is a quick clue: The chorus to this song includes the line 'Just because I liked you back then, doesn't mean I like you now'.

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_

**STAY

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**

Sirius tossed back and forth on his bed, his eyes closed and his face the canvas of a tortured man. Sweat covered his body, and if any of his friends had glanced in, they would have thought he was having nightmares. Only someone with a keen eye - and a full knowledge of what had happened that evening - would know that it wasn't a nightmare that was keeping him tossing and turning, but memories. And the look of torture wasn't the type of pain caused by death, destruction, and emptiness. In fact, the very large, impressive tent in his boxers proved that the torture was really anything but.

"Hermione..." Sirius groaned, his hands running over his chest as his brain played out their impromptu doorway snog. In his head, Ginny had not interrupted them, and at the moment his subconscious was buried to the hilt within the soft, mewling wetness of the brilliant curly-haired witch.

A loud crash and the sound of the portrait of Mrs. Black spewing her torrent of curses started him from his sleep and as a result, the beautiful picture of their thrusting bodies faded from his conscious mind.

"Damnit!" Sirius shouted, falling back against the pillows again as his hand settled on his stomach, debating over whether to finish the job his dreams had started. He sighed. This would make the third time that night that he would be thrusting into his own hand instead of into Hermione's tight, young body. That thought made him groan, and he closed his eyes as he tried to mentally-will his throbbing arousal away.

This wasn't the first time Hermione had made him wild with lust, though this _was_ the first time it had manifested itself into a perpetual erection that would not go away. He had always been intrigued by the budding young genius. Her age, however, had always prevented him from showing her just how much he cared about her and that frustration - of being around someone he legitimately liked but not being able to show her without being deemed several disparaging words by the Weasley matriarch - had caused him to be cold and sometimes cruel to Hermione in her youth.

But there had been one moment of weakness when he had _almost_ shown her how he felt - when he had thought about dropping his facade and damning the rest of society to Hell for one moment of affection. Caddish ladies' man though he was, however, Sirius knew that if he had gone through with it he would have never been able to forgive himself for taking advantage of what he recognized at the time as a childish school girl crush.

Despite the enormous amount of self-restraint required to stop himself.

* * *

_"I see you've lured me under the mistletoe, Miss Granger," Sirius said, glancing down into her wide eyes and smiling slightly as a faint flush crossed her cheeks. _

_She swallowed hard._

_"I...I didn't put it there," she stuttered._

_He chuckled, trying to stop himself from caressing her cheek affectionately._

_"Of course you didn't, love. You're much too sensible to be worried about silly trifles like mistletoe." He glanced up at the mistletoe before looking back at her, and before he could stop himself, he added: "I bet you've never even been kissed."_

_She flushed a deeper red._

_"I have," she said indignantly, and he tried to cover up the irrational jealousy the swelled in him by grinning mischievously at her._

_"You have, have you? Some inexperienced young whelp, no doubt. Some fumbling young third year."_

_"No," she said stoutly. "He was seventeen, and quite adequate, thank you very much."_

_Sirius hoped she didn't see his jaw twitch._

_"__Adequate__, was he," he said softly, hoping it sounded like teasing but knowing that he was quickly losing control over his actions as an unintended step forward had her pinned against the door frame. "Well, what would he say if he heard you talking like that about him?"_

_"I...I...oh!" She pursed her lips and frowned and he had to stop himself from pressing his own lips against her adorable pout. In an attempt to move him away, she pressed her hands to his chest - which had been bare beneath his dressing gown - and tried weakly to push him back._

_He hoped she didn't feel his heart quicken._

_"Eloquent as always, Hermione," he baited, trying to sound as cavalier as possible. Falling back on his routine of gently mocking her to avoid gazing adoringly at her, he glanced down at her hands before looking back up with a cocked eyebrow._

_"And I see you've taken to molesting old men as well as __adequately__ snogging some poor young seventh year..."_

_"It was Viktor Krum," she said hotly. "And he was more than adequate, he was..."_

_"Viktor Krum? The Bulgarian seeker?" he interrupted, feeling an anger swell in his chest that this young, impressionable fifteen-year-old had already been the willing recipient of a Quidditch playboy's wiles. Forcing a sly grin on his face, he added: "Well, Hermione you __do__ get around."_

_She flushed again._

_"I do __not__ get around! He was my first kiss and..."_

_"Ah," Sirius interrupted again, his heart soaring a bit more as the practical side of his brain was overruled by the optimistically-romantic side. "If he was your first kiss, how do you know if he was adequate or not?"_

_She opened her mouth but did not say anything. Her nostrils flared in anger and mouth pursed tight and Sirius knew at that moment that he would give anything in the world to be twenty years younger._

_"If you're so concerned, why don't you show me how it's done then?" he heard her say, and his eyebrows shot to his hairline as she clamped her hands over her mouth in wide-eyed horror. Unable to stop himself, he smirked._

_"You want me to kiss you? To show you how it's done properly?" he asked, his voice low and husky as he dropped his face closer to hers._

_She smelled of syrup and daisies and worn leather and Sirius had to grit his teeth to stop himself from nuzzling into the wild curls that tumbled over her shoulders. She was looking at him intently, her lips slightly pursed and he stared at those lips, his body playing a game of truth or dare with his brain. His body dared him to kiss her. His head was screaming the truth of the matter. She was fifteen years old. He was twenty years her senior. This was not what she wanted - she was a child._

_As her eyes drifted closed, he pulled back, exhaling softly._

_"Go upstairs, love," he said with what he hoped was a paternal smile. "No need to tease an old man any further with romantic notions."_

_He gave her a small half-smile and walked out, heading straight up the stairs to his room for a cold shower and a mental admonishment about how close he had come to being the lecherous man Molly Weasley thought he was._

_

* * *

_

That moment in time was one he had tried valiantly over the years to forget and had hoped it was just a distant memory for her now. Their conversation the night before, however, had revealed just how upset she had been by the whole event, and how she, in her infinite fifteen-year-old wisdom, had clearly misunderstood his intentions.

He was certain she had viewed him pulling away as the ultimate rejection and had therefore been humiliated. Why else would she have chosen the path she was on now, gaining revenge by stringing him along? He wanted to sit her down and explain that he was avoiding being a lecherous old man and not rejecting her advances – thought it was a definite toss-up as to whether he wanted to do this more than he wanted to just sit her down on his bed and forgo any talking whatsoever until she forgot about the whole thing.

What had been honorably-intended had backfired on him and now he found himself wanting the witch more than ever. He was certain she still wanted him – he had caught her look over the dinner table before she had started her little foot tease – and he had felt her breasts heave against his chest when he pinned her to the door and later to the wall, her erratic heartbeat giving away more than her words. Hermione didn't just want him to suffer – she wanted _him_. Full stop.

His dream came back to haunt him, as did his throbbing erection as he imagined sweeping the breakfast dishes from the table and taking her downstairs. She was older now and admittedly more experienced. He wondered if there had been more than just playing with dragons going on with Charlie Weasley in Romania. A wave of familiar jealously filled him and he was beginning to recognize that this feeling only really reared its ugly head around her – and whether or not that meant he wanted her for more than just a shag was something he wasn't ready to think about.

Remus's earlier words about her being off-limits came to mind as well as he rolled out of bed and he contemplated getting dressed. Imagining Dolores Umbridge naked, he found his problem disappear and stood with a stretch, pulling on his tight black jeans and buckling the belt with practiced ease. As far as a one-night stand went, Hermione definitely _was_ off-limits. Not only would it cause an uproar amongst their family and friends, but she deserved more than that. He also knew that once was not going to be enough when it came to the brilliant young woman.

Locating his slightly-crinkled shirt from the night before, he exited his room, finding it was still dark outside. His mother had been silenced, which meant whoever was up had managed to close her curtains and was probably now in the kitchen. He hoped they had coffee since it was the least they could offer for waking him up.

He padded barefoot down the stairs, avoiding the trip stair three from the bottom and casting a glare at the black curtains that held the remains of his mother. He made it to the kitchen without further incident and pushed open the door to find it filled with light and the smells of a home-cooked breakfast.

Hermione's sweet laugh was the first thing he heard and the one thing that had him step into the great unknown. What he saw, however, made him see red and he considered going straight back to bed, skipping both her company and the breakfast she and Remus were cooking.

The pair stood side by side at the stove top, Remus leaning down to murmur something to her, and she throwing back her head to laugh again, the spatula almost flying from her hand. She bumped her hip into his playfully.

"What's going on?" he found himself growling, wishing he could bite his tongue as Hermione's smile faded to a grin when she turned to look at him.

"Oh Sirius! You're up," she smiled.

"No thanks to whoever set off the evil hag from Hades," he said, moving in to the kitchen to plonk himself at the table. Remus remained facing the stove, his head bowed a little.

"That was us, sorry," she said a little breathily, smiling wickedly at Remus before turning back to him, "We were in the library reading when Remus suggested we make breakfast. We were racing down the stairs and forgot about the step," she explained.

"It's okay 'Mione, you haven't been here in a while," Harry yawned, stepping into the kitchen, an equally sleep-tousled Ginny holding his hand and trailing along meekly behind.

"Coffee?" Hermione offered by way of apology, flicking her wand at one of the cabinets and charming several plates and mugs to the table.

"You should know better," Sirius said, addressing Remus, who was plating up a mountain of bacon.

Remus spun to look at him, somehow knowing his friend was referring to a little bit more than missing the third step. Sirius had seen Remus around women he was attracted to before and knew that Hermione was more than an adequate match for the ageing werewolf. The fact that they were so compatible and got along so well only fueled Sirius's insecurities.

"We forgot ourselves," Remus replied, picking up the plate and placing it before him, returning to the stove for the sausages and eggs.

Harry looked between Sirius and Remus with a frown, picking up on the slight note of tension. Ginny's head on his shoulder distracted him, however, and he turned to her to push the messy red hair from her face, dropping a kiss to her forehead.

Hermione watched them with a smile, pouring them coffee.

"I'm surprised Mrs. Weasley lets you stay here, Ginny," she commented cheekily.

Ginny looked up, snatching the coffee and taking a life-giving sip before replying.

"She doesn't know. I glamour my bed and Dad keeps up the story that I leave early."

"What she doesn't know can't hurt her," Harry replied, giving Ginny a squeeze as they shared a secret smile.

Sirius watched Hermione's expression melt in the face of her best friends happiness and wondered if she wanted what they had. Didn't all women want roses and kisses and romance? Were they all searching for their own personal Prince Charming? Did they expect grand gestures, chivalry, nobility, and loyal white knights?

Sirius knew fairy tales didn't exist, but from the looks on the faces of some of the women he had been with, he wondered if fairy tales weren't part of a mass conspiracy to make men feel as inferior as possible.

"So, Sirius," Ginny said, the small smirk of mischief back on her face now that she had consumed her coffee. "Did you sleep well last night?"

The question was loaded and for a moment Sirius didn't understand why. Then he realized that Harry's room was right next to his and while his godson might sleep like the living dead, Ginny – from what he discovered over the course of several heated arguments involving his forgetfulness with his silencing charms – did not. He flushed slightly as he remembered that he hadn't been particularly aware of his vocal level during his moments of self-gratification.

"Fine, thanks," he said, clearing his throat as he sent a pointed look to Hermione. "Though, I do admit that I went to bed a little…_achy_."

Remus snorted into his coffee and Sirius wondered if the werewolf knew a little more than he was giving off about the events the night before.

"You know what I do after a long day of wrangling dragons, when _I'm_ all sore and achy?" Hermione said, walking over from the stove to the table and speaking in a tone that Sirius wasn't entirely sure was appropriate for the gathering. It seemed, however, that he was the only one who recognized it for something a bit more seductive than her usual speaking voice.

"What?" Remus asked as she sat next to him – scooting a little close, Sirius noticed.

"I soak myself in a long, _hot_ bath," she said, sharing a conspiratorial smirk with Ginny. "It really helps to get those…_kinks_…out of my body."

Sirius couldn't understand why no one else was picking up on her language. Or why he was the only one who appeared to be effected by the sudden change in temperature in the room. Was it him, or had it just gotten a few degrees hotter?

"Well, working a desk job will help avoid those aches and pains," Harry said, digging into his eggs without the slightest clue as to what Sirius was going through.

Hermione smiled, leaning into Remus, who wrapped his arm around her.

"Yes," she said. "It'll be nice to come home at a decent hour, and having a reason to dress in nice clothes again." She glanced at Sirius before smirking and looking up at Remus in wide-eyed adoration. "And it's always nice to…_re-connect_…with people."

Sirius growled from the back of his throat and had to correct himself with faking a coughing fit. Ginny, whom he suspected knew all along what was going on, slapped him several times on the back as if to carry on his ruse – though he cringed with how purposefully heavy-handed she was.

Harry saw none of this and was looking with curiosity between his best friend and his former professor.

"Um…are you two…you know…" he said, nodding within the pauses as though to convey what he really wanted to say through unintelligible head movements.

Hermione smirked as Sirius's eyes flashed.

"No," she said mildly, though with an air of being thoroughly noncommittal. "There's nothing between Remus and I except a good, strong, close, _intimate_ friendship."

Had Sirius been looking closely, he would have seen Remus shaking in his attempt not to burst into laughter. As it happened, Sirius was too busy trying to stop his brain from plotting his best friend's imminent demise for even looking at Hermione. At the same time, Sirius's brain was also taunting him about the sudden possessive nature he was developing toward the young witch.

"Well…if…you know…something happens…I'd be okay with it," Harry said, his eyes focused on his toast. "I mean…I kinda thought maybe…after yesterday, I mean…"

"What do you mean, 'after yesterday'?" Sirius asked sharply, looking up at the two of them with daggers in his eyes. He hadn't returned to the Burrow with Hermione and it wasn't until several hours later that anyone returned back to Grimmauld Place. Had something happened between them?

"I just mean...well...when she said that Remus was her boyfriend to get away from you," Harry said, frowning slightly. "Why? What did you _think_ I meant?"

"She wasn't trying to get away from me," Sirius said hotly.

Hermione chuckled.

"Wasn't I? You _were_ on top of me." Her eyes sparkled as she looked at him and he suddenly got the distinct impression that everything that had happened that morning was set up to get a rise out of him.

His jaw tensed as he realized it had worked.

"So Hermione, when did you want to go shopping for those shoes you were talking about last night?" Ginny asked.

Hermione shrugged as she finished off her cup of coffee.

"I have to shower and do a little bit more unpacking, but after that should be fine."

"You're going shopping specifically for shoes?" Harry asked, arching his eyebrow.

"Yes. She was complaining about how much her feet were hurting last night," Ginny explained. "Overexertion, I think it was."

Sirius ears pricked up.

"Yes," Hermione said, avoiding eye contact with Sirius and crossing her legs, her foot gently grazing his. "I couldn't even _begin_ to tell you the things I do to my poor feet. The abuse they take is simply horrible."

"Or the abuse they give," Ginny murmured, but again, Sirius felt like he was the only one that heard.

"How about a foot massage?" Remus asked Hermione. "That should make them less achy."

"Oh!" Hermione said excitedly. "Oh yes, please. Could you?"

"Well, I...er...I mean, I'm not very..."

"Actually, I need Remus for a second in the library," Ginny interrupted, standing and looking at Sirius. "But I'm sure Sirius would be more than happy to oblige."

"What do you need to do in the library?" Harry asked his girlfriend curiously.

She patted his head.

"Never you mind."

Remus chuckled, shaking his head as he stood and stepped around the table, tailing after Ginny.

Hermione continued to avoid eye contact with Sirius as she charmed the empty dishes to the sink and lazily made the leftovers crowd themselves on one plate before sending it to the oven.

"I'm sure Ron will want that when he finally comes downstairs," she said to no one in particular before standing and stretching. "Well, I'm going to take a shower."

"Wait," Sirius said, his eyebrow arching. "I believe I owe you a foot massage."

"Oh, no. No, that's fine," Hermione said quickly.

"No, why don't you let him? I need to take a shower anyway so I'll take it first and you can go in after me," Harry said, ducking out of the kitchen before Hermione could protest.

"I know it's been a while since I cut my toenails, but I didn't think they were that bad," she grinned, standing up and wriggling her toes for emphasis. "What a way to clear a room though." She grinned, walking around and sitting down in Harry's recently-vacated chair, turning her body to face him.

Sirius gulped and stared down at her toes - the same toes he had spent the night tossing and turning over - and fought to catch his breath back. His eyes travelled up her shapely tanned calves, over her work roughened knees and up to the pair of red boxer shorts covered in golden snitches. They were too big for her and he wondered just who she had stolen them from.

"They were Charlie's, but they look far better on me," she joked when she saw his gaze linger. Her words bought his eyes up the rest of the way, skimming lightly over the plain white singlet top, trying not to notice her unrestrained breasts and dusty nipples that were just visible.

"You two are close?" he asked, reaching down to grip her ankle, trying to appear casual.

"We were partners. Well, he was more my mentor. So yes, we got..._close_," she replied, watching his fingers as he traced a line down to her toes. "Does that bother you?" she asked.

"What? No, why should it?" he spluttered, pulling her big toe before adjusting her foot in his lap.

"It bothers Ron, even though he won't admit it," she said conversationally, wriggling a little until they finally settled into a comfortable position facing each other. "It's hard for him to admit that his big brother is the love 'em and leave 'em type. He still sees him as a hot-shot Quidditch player, Head Boy and successful Dragon Tamer; he hero worships him and that can only lead to a let down." She smiled sadly.

"That's just Ron's opinion. Everyone else around here, save his own mother, knows that Charlie Weasley can be no better than one of his dragons when it comes to wooing the ladies," Sirius replied, his thumb digging into her instep a little too sharply as he thought of Hermione becoming just another notch in the other man's belt.

"Charlie's a sweetheart," she groaned, obviously liking the rougher treatment as he realized her feet _were_ a little sore. "And he makes a fantastic lover, but even he admits he would be a horrible husband."

Sirius gripped her ankle in one hand as he rotated his thumb in deep circles, feeling the smooth skin of her arch and trying to will his body not to react physically to how close her toes now sat to his neglected cock. She sighed and leaned her head back on the chair, her hair falling behind her as her eyes fluttered closed. Sirius took the opportunity to study her fabulous breasts, which were thrust forward and practically begging for attention.

"I wouldn't tell Mrs Weasley that," he said, trying to maintain the conversation and keep a grip on his sanity at the same time.

"Oh, she was giving enough hints the last time she came to visit, even though she only suspected something was going on between us. I think that was when we realized we just weren't suited beyond bed," she explained, her voice breathy as she gave in to his gentle ministrations.

Her other foot lifted off the floor and came to rest in his lap, her knee bent so she could rub her toes teasingly along his thigh. A glace at her face showed her wrapped up in the massage and he wondered if she were aware of what her actions were doing to him.

Probably.

"I'm sure he misses you now," Sirius found himself saying, having half-a-mind to travel to Romania and knock Charlie Weasley out, if not for sleeping with the witch, then at least for letting her go.

"Only as his apprentice. Who else is going to carry around all his random junk that he seems to leave everywhere?" she smiled, rolling her neck from side to side as he picked up her other foot and gave it the same treatment.

"I'm sure he'll manage," Sirius murmured, not trusting his voice to get any louder as her toes once again brushed against his arousal.

Hermione cracked open an eye and lifted her head enough to look down at him. The gleam he saw there was enough to tell him she knew exactly what kind of effect her motions had. She bit her lip seductively and began to lift her hands from where they rested lightly on her stomach. Sirius's fingers all but stilled as she rubbed her palms up her ribs before cupping her breasts, maintaining eye contact the entire time.

His breath whooshed from his lungs as she flexed her fingers and his hands left her foot to run up her calf, his fingers lighting small fires along her skin. She let out a shaky breath and leant forward toward him just as the kitchen door swung open and Ron staggered in.

"Coffee," he groaned, groping his way to the kettle, completely oblivious to the heated sexual tension in the room.

Hermione's hands dropped to her sides as her feet thumped to the floor. She murmured something about going to shower before fleeing from the kitchen. Sirius sat in stunned silence.

"Where is everyone?" Ron asked from the where he rested against the counter, not looking as if he was actually awake, the mug clutched tightly to his chest.

"Busy," Sirius answered, standing from the table. "See ya mate," he had the thought to say before leaving the kitchen in pursuit of Hermione.

Ron looked down at himself before lifting to smell under his armpit.

"Was it something I said?" he asked the empty kitchen, before returning to his coffee with a shrug.

The shower was already going by the time Sirius hit the third-floor landing, though the door was slightly ajar. Frowning, Sirius wondered if Harry was still in the bathroom, but at that second the damp-headed, bespectacled man stepped out of his room, his Auror robes hanging off his lithe frame, and he shot his godfather a grin before whistling to himself and heading down the stairs.

"She's waiting for you, you know," a voice said and Sirius spun around to face Ginny, who was leaning against the door frame of Harry's room. "I know she wouldn't have left the door open if she wasn't expecting someone to come in."

She cast the older man a knowing smirk before walking back into her room. Sirius stared at the space where the precocious redhead had been before walking over to the bathroom door. Glancing around to make sure no one else – least of all someone who could do him severe bodily harm – had seen, he slipped into the room and closed the door.

He immediately fell against it as his cock jumped to attention.

Hermione's naked body was clearly visible through the sliding glass doors and his breath hitched as he saw the water cutting smooth paths down her golden-brown skin. Her hair lay tamed against her back as the water cascaded over her face, tiny droplets rolling over her parted lips.

Her body was facing him, and he had a full, unhindered view of everything he had fantasized about the night before. Her breasts, teasingly visible that morning, were bared for his enjoyment, and the full flesh and dusky nipples made his body ache with longing to taste them. Her flat stomach, toned from her hours of physical labor in Romania, tapered down to feminine hips and long, smooth legs.

Her hands, which had been combing lazily through her hair, were now slowly running over her shoulders, kneading into the flesh and groaning slightly. Sirius moved toward the sink, gripping it as he got a better view of her movements. Leaning against it for support, Sirius's own hands followed her movements, running them over his own shoulders and barely registering the tension that had manifested itself there.

He couldn't move toward her. He had caught the wards in his attempt to get to the sink. Whatever the little witch hoped, it definitely wasn't that he would join her in the shower. He had a sinking suspicion that she had charmed the glass not to fog for the simple torture of showing him just what he had been missing for the past 40 years of his life.

He didn't notice the small smirk that appeared on her face as she opened her eyes briefly, realizing she was being watched. Catching him spellbound, she ran her hands from her shoulders slowly down her sides to cup her own breasts. His breath hitched once more as she let out a small moan, pinching and twisting her nipples the way she liked it and throwing her head back under the stream of water.

Sirius hands followed as he skimmed his own nipples while watching her.

After a few moments of gentle playing, Hermione's hands sought something more fulfilling. Running her hands down her stomach, she spread her legs a little more and Sirius's eyes grew a little wider as her fingers found the apex of her thighs. Teasing herself, she skimmed her fingers up and down her folds before finding her clit and making lazy circles, the other hand running back up her body to her breasts.

Sirius swallowed hard and wondered if he could get away with releasing himself from the tight confines of his jeans. Deciding that whatever retribution the beautiful witch decided to give out was worth the show he was witnessing at the moment, Sirius flipped his jeans open and suppressed a groan of relief as he released himself from his pants. Grasping his throbbing member, he started to stroke himself to the rhythm of her finger's slow, teasing circles.

Hermione's breath came out in short puffs as she opened her eyes just enough to see Sirius watching her, his hand on his very impressive cock and pumping in time to her movements. She shuddered in silent ecstasy as she watched his face start to register the pleasure he was giving his own body and for several moments the only sound was that of running water, Hermione's quiet mews, and the sound of skin-on-skin as Sirius pumped harder.

Then the moment came where Hermione could not take the gentle teasing she was giving herself any longer. She craved the man who was standing in front of her. She longed for his body to be pressed against hers and admittedly, it was the only thing she had been thinking all night, even when she returned to the Burrow for dessert. The fact that he was there now, watching as she pleasured herself to her secret thoughts of him, made her body ache and her back arch.

Sirius watched, absolutely entranced, as Hermione's orgasm took over her body. Her full lips parted and a small, cock-twitching cry escaped. Her eyes fluttered shut as small water drops clung to her eyelashes before splashing down her flushed face. Her fingers sped up and her body arched in pleasure, her knees buckling slightly as her hand went for the glass, her palm making a perfect print against it.

She looked up at him and his cock twitched again as he felt the wards silently come down. Her eyes were staring at him, smouldering in dark desire. She wanted him to join her now. Her eyes told him that she craved him almost as much as he craved her. She licked her lips as he started to undress, her eyes not leaving his as he went to push his jeans down.

Then he stopped.

This was Hermione Granger. A beautiful, brilliant, generous, and - for the most part - kind witch who deserved better than a rough shag in the heat of the moment in the bathroom of a dilapidated old house. And as much as his body was screaming at him to forgo his conscience this _once_ and take her - hard - against the tile walls, he just couldn't. She deserved more than that. She deserved more than him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered as she started to register his hesitance. "It's not that I don't want to...oh God Hermione, you have no idea how much I want to..."

"Then why aren't you?" she asked, her voice steady but a legitimate vulnerability was in her eyes.

"Because you deserve more than me," he said with a small smile. Zipping up his jeans, he ran his eyes up and down her body one more time. "You're too beautiful for someone like me."

And with that, he left, leaving Hermione staring after him in a mixture of horror and contemplation.

* * *

_Thanks for Reading!_


	3. BEG

_**Authors Note:**__ Once again, thank you for your overwhelming support with this fic. Congratulations to padfootsgrl79 for guessing the artist, Miley Cyrus. The song was East Northumberland High, *hands over gift hamper of assorted meat products* Enjoy!_

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**BEG**

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"So Remus and I are thinking about having a love child," Ginny said, picking up a leopard-print pump that practically screamed 'drag queen'. "You know, we figured since it will probably end up with my red hair, it will be pretty easy to pass it off as Harry's."

"That's nice," Hermione replied, running her fingers along the delicate bow on the top of a satin heel that cost more than either of them cared to admit.

"We were thinking Regina as a name," Ginny continued, shooting her friend another glance. "Or Ginnus if it's a boy," she added, her voice taking on the dangerous lilt of annoyance that usually sent grown men running.

"Hm," Hermione replied, continuing along the racks of shoes – most of which she would struggle to walk in – until she came to a pair of simple black slip-ons. "These will do," she said, not even looking at the size or the price as she headed straight for the cash register.

Ginny growled in the back of her throat and stomped after her friend, tearing the shoe from her hand and spinning her so that they faced each other. Hermione looked startled to find Ginny there at all.

"Look, if you didn't want to go shopping, you could have just said so," Ginny huffed.

"I-I'm sorry, Gin, I've just got a lot on my mind," Hermione replied, avoiding her friend's all-knowing gaze.

"Yeah, 'a lot' being a roughly-six-foot-one specimen of pure male flesh waiting for you at home," Ginny scoffed.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Hermione replied, regaining some of her wits, at least enough to snatch the shoes back and return them to the rack with a disgusted look, having realized what she had picked up.

"Oh really? So the rest of us have just had to put up with you two making gaga-eyes at each other for the last twenty-four hours while it has completely escaped your notice? I doubt it."

Ginny was pissed, and was amazed that it had only taken just one short day to reach the end of her tether.

"Are we that obvious?" Hermione asked, not even trying to defend herself. "I mean, am I?"

Ginny sighed and pulled Hermione over to the small couch nestled in the corner, shooting the sales lady a warning glance when it looked like she was about to descend.

"Sweetheart, only to someone who knows you so well." She sighed. "What happened when we left you in the kitchen? One minute you were on cloud nine, the next you are acting like Crookshanks just died all over again."

Hermione looked down at her hands, not even sure what had happened. Ginny was right, that morning she had woken up feeling refreshed and in for another day of heated banter with a man she couldn't seem to get enough of. Never in her wildest dreams had she seen his rejection coming, especially not after her little shower display. She had been humiliated, embarrassed, and more than a little shocked.

"He doesn't want me, end of story," she replied, trying to inject as much indifference into her voice as possible, and failing miserably.

Ginny raised one perfectly plucked red eyebrow with scepticism.

"Really?" she asked, pursing her lips.

"Yes really, he says...he said I'm too good for someone like him, that I deserve better," she said, letting out a breath. That line was no better than 'it's not you, it's me' in her book.

"Oh honestly," Ginny cried. "Sometimes I just want to throw that man in a Hippogriff's pen."

"You think he's lying? You think I threw myself at him?" Hermione asked, gnawing at her bottom lip as waves of rejection washed over her again.

"I think he is lying to himself," Ginny said, gripping her hand in comfort. "I think you scare the shit out of him, Hermione."

"What? How?"

"Think about it. Sirius Black always gets what he wants and normally he doesn't even have to snap his fingers for it. Then you come along, someone he never even considered, someone closer than the normal bimbos he brings home and all his usual methods of seduction go flying out the window. You're different to his other conquests, and you are the one person who could end up being more than just a one-night-stand."

"I never thought..."

"No, you didn't. Sirius is more than just a potential fuck buddy to you, admit it. Old flames never die, and yours is burning brighter than ever," Ginny said, looking smug.

"I just figured...I guess...what if he only wants me for one night and that's why he pulled away?" Hermione asked, frowning as the concept of wanting too much from him crossed her mind.

"I don't think it's a matter of what you want anymore; I think the problem is what _he_ wants. Hermione, if he walked away after this morning, with whatever happened..."

"He watched me masturbating in the shower," Hermione interjected, having the good grace to blush.

Ginny sat blinking for a moment, silent.

"Ginny?"

"And he walked away?" her friend finally asked.

"Yes."

"Oh, we are about to teach an old dog some very new tricks." She grinned evilly, pulling a surprised Hermione to her feet with new intentions in mind.

* * *

By mid-morning Remus had almost given up looking for his friend until he found him curled up in his favourite arm chair in the library, a bottle of fire-whisky cradled in his lap as he stared into the empty fire-place. Remus only had to take two steps to know that the raven-haired playboy had been drinking all morning, and from the look of things, had no intention of stopping.

"And here I always thought manners dictated that legs were draped over the _left_ side of the couch when drinking despondently in the mid-morning," Remus joked as he approached his friend, sitting on the couch across from Sirius.

"Re-read your book. Despondent drinking always requires legs draped over the _right_ side of the couch. And _solitude_," the pureblood retorted, eyeing his friend pointedly.

Remus chose to ignore him.

"So I heard this fantastic joke the other day," he said in his attempt to make his friend at least break out of his mood long enough to explain why he was in it in the first place. "This guy walks into a doctor's office with a duck on his head. The duck says 'Doc, can you get this guy off my arse?'"

Sirius stared blankly at Remus.

"Alright, so it wasn't a _fantastic_ joke, but it at least warrants a pity smile?" Remus said.

Sirius sighed, sliding his legs back so he was sitting normally on the chair.

"You're not going to leave me alone until you know why I'm in here drinking, are you?" he asked.

"Well, I had intended on using a little more disarming charm before going in for the kill, but yes, that's about it in a nutshell."

Sirius sighed again.

"It's Hermione."

"Ah," Remus said, a slow smirk appearing on his weathered face. "I figured you would dissolve her into a puddle with one of your famous foot rubs. Did it work?"

Sirius gritted his teeth.

"No," he said simply.

Remus arched an eyebrow.

"No?" he repeated. "But Ginny and I saw her rushing up the stairs looking flushed. She went straight into the bathroom."

Sirius's nostrils flared.

"I really don't want to talk about it."

"You brought it up."

"No, you and your infuriatingly tactless 'charm' brought it up."

Remus sighed, standing.

"Look, I just came in here because you looked like someone had kicked your dog. Or...you," he said, smiling in spite of himself at the joke he had just made. "But if you don't want to talk about it, fine. I'll be in my room doing some work, so come and find me if you want."

Sirius closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"She was masturbating in the shower," he said just as Remus touched the door knob.

The werewolf froze.

"I walked in on her in the shower," Sirius said. "She saw me and started masturbating in front of me."

Remus slowly turned to face his friend.

"Tell me you didn't run out of there like you had the hounds of Hell on your heels," he said, pleading that his friend had not been that stupid.

"Well..."

Remus groaned.

"Sirius, what the _hell_ is wrong with you?!"

"Not enough time in the day to list it all, mate," Sirius grumbled, taking another long swig of the firewhiskey and grimacing at the taste.

"You do realize that that's _twice_ you've rejected her when she's made advances on you, right?"

Sirius blinked.

"Twice?"

"Yes. I know the first shouldn't count, because she was so young, but fifth year you caught her under the mistletoe. Remember?"

"Yes, but..."

"You walked away from her when she was about to kiss you. She was devastated. I should know, I was the one that walked in on her glaring at the mistletoe as if it had personally offended her."

"Yeah, but...I mean she was only fifteen..."

"Mate, it doesn't matter. You rejected her. And then you walked away from her after she allowed you to watch her masturbate in the shower?! I mean, I'm not even emotionally attached to her and I don't think even _I_ could resist her if I walked in on that."

"Hey," Sirius said heatedly. "Hands off."

"See?!" Remus shouted, rolling his eyes. "You like her! Why the fuck did you run away?"

"I don't bloody well know!" Sirius shouted back. "I told her that she was too good for me..."

"Which is true," Remus interrupted.

"And that she deserves someone better..."

"Also very true."

"Will you let me finish!"

"Sorry."

Sirius sighed, running a tired hand over his face.

"I keep telling myself that I pushed her away because I don't want to complicate things. But it's not true. All I can think about is her naked body and how I very much _want_ to complicate things. But that's the problem! I can't think of her as a one-night-stand, because she _isn't_ a one-night-stand, but I can't comprehend her as being anything _but_ a one-night-stand, see?"

"No," Remus replied, brow furrowed as he tried to follow the slightly-inebriated animagus's reasoning.

"I don't do relationships," Sirius explained, though there was really no need to. "And the fact that I want to have one with Hermione proves that I _shouldn't_ have sex with Hermione, right?"

Remus rolled his eyes.

"You are a first class idiot. You realize this, don't you?"

"The thought had crossed my mind, yes."

"You're turning down the opportunity for a potential relationship with a smart, funny, beautiful, sexy, and absolutely fantastic witch because you, and I quote, "don't do relationships"? I should smack you upside the head."

"But you see the dilemma," Sirius asked.

"No! Other than the fact that you've never found anyone that can keep you interested, why don't you do relationships?"

"Because I've _never_ found anyone who can keep me interested," Sirius replied, which caused the werewolf to roll his eyes again.

"Do you honestly think you'll bore of Hermione? Especially since you've been intrigued and obsessed with her since you met her eight years ago?"

"I have _not_ been obsessed..."

"Fine. But you do admit that you've been attracted to her for longer than the twenty-four hours she's been here, yes?"

"Yes."

"Then you've essentially been fascinated with her for a long time and haven't gotten bored yet. Having sex is just going to add a whole new dynamic to the situation, which always helps with the interest level. So tell me why you pushed her away again?"

Sirius blinked.

"I...oh shit."

"And there it is," Remus said, sitting on the sofa again as he watched his friend's face change from realization to horror and back again.

"I want her," he said, putting the firewhiskey bottle down.

"Yes you do," Remus replied with a nod.

"I should go to her now."

"Well, not now."

"Why not?"

"Because she's shoe-shopping with Ginny and you bursting in there to declare your intentions of ravishment may make things a tad awkward for pretty much anyone in the surrounding area."

"Right...maybe I should do some grand gesture to show her I'm not going to run away...again."

"I suspect it might be appreciated."

"Right," Sirius said, standing unsteadily and looking at Remus with eyes that were slightly unfocused. "First step...flowers. Birds like flowers, right?"

"_Women_ like flowers, yes," Remus corrected. "But Sirius, I think your first step should be a strong cup of coffee and a shower."

"Right," Sirius said, turning and almost tripping over a footstool. "Because smelling like sweat and firewhiskey is decidedly _un_-sexy."

Remus rolled his eyes.

"Oh, and Sirius?" Remus said, lolling his head back to look at his friend again.

"Yes, Moony?" Sirius slurred, catching himself on the doorway.

"You might want to take care of _that_ while you are at it," Remus said, his eyes dropping to the bulge in Sirius jeans and back up to meet his eye, his eyebrow quirked in amusement.

"Right," Sirius said, looking down as well before donning his most cocky grin. "Thanks, mate."

"Don't mention it," Remus mumbled, closing his eyes with a long-suffering sigh.

"I won't!" came Sirius's call a moment later from down the hall.

* * *

Hermione looked down at herself one last time, wondering how she had managed to let Ginny convince her that this was a good idea and if she would be able to pull it off. Yes, Sirius was a man, and one often led by his libido, but he wasn't a complete idiot.

The knee-high leather boots creaked softly when she moved, tottering on the heels for a moment before regaining her balance using the bed post. She felt wanton and more than a little ridiculous, but Ginny assured her that Sirius was definitely going to get the point when he saw her in these shoes... and the matching bra and panty set Ginny had thrown in last minute.

The plan was simple: find Sirius, drop her robes and give him no chance of escape – then make him beg. Looking in the mirror as she tried to flatten her hair once again, she knew there was little to no chance he could reject her this time.

She was beginning to look desperate.

It had been late afternoon by the time she felt she was sufficiently ready to face the man who was turning her into a mad woman. Ginny had taken care of Harry and Ron, dragging them off to the Burrow for the evening, and Remus was working diligently on his latest novel, a brand new title in his bestselling _'Understanding Werewolves_' series. She knew from Harry and Ron's letters that once Remus became absorbed in his research it was like he was in a trance. She fondly remembered getting that way herself a few times during school.

Taking a deep breath, she threw her deep blue robes over her shoulders, making sure it was fastened all the way down, and left her room in search of Sirius. She found him in his room, but the scene was nothing like she had imagined.

Sirius lay face up, his mouth wide open, his hair slightly damp from an earlier shower. From the looks of things he had been getting dressed and had passed out - the smell of whisky hung like a cloud in the air. She pursed her lips when she saw his pants were gaping wide, one hand tucked casually beneath the fly.

Nope, not how she pictured it at all.

He mumbled something incoherent, shifting to raise one knee before settling back in to sleep. Hermione watched him with growing apprehension and a great deal of frustrated need. Being the prudent witch she was, she was not about to let a drunken stupor ruin her chances of getting even. Or getting laid. She didn't back down that easily.

Stomping from his room, she went straight to the bathroom, rummaging around in the cabinet and producing a bottle of swirling purple liquid. Crossing back in to his bedroom she found him in the same condition. With little remorse, she pulled her wand from an inner pocket of her robes and cast a very accurate _aguamenti_.

Sirius, rather predictably, woke spluttering.

With a smirk, she dropped her robes from her shoulders and approached the bed. It only took the animagus a moment to notice he had company, and he straightened on the damp bed sheets to stare at her, trying to take every inch of her scantily-clad frame in at once.

"Drink this," she said, tossing him the bottle of Sober Up.

He fumbled for a moment, his eyes refusing to leave her, but managed to get the vial uncorked. He spared it a glance, seeing the familiar brew and not anything sinister, and chugged it back in one swallow. Hermione stood there with her hands on her hips, waiting for the potion to take effect.

Finally, with a shake of his head and a grimace, Sirius looked back at her with clear eyes.

"I-I..." he stuttered, taking in her appearance all over again, ending with an audible gulp.

"Do you like my new shoes?" she asked coyly, spreading her thighs a little as his grey eyes burned down her body to her feet.

"They're... they're very nice," he choked out, blinking several times as if she would disappear.

Never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined she would be here like this. Before he had passed out he vaguely recalled intentions of wooing her in the hopes of just this situation. Well, minus the shoes of course - even _his_ oversexed imagination couldn't have conjured up such creations. To have her here, however, having once again taken care of the issue of excess clothing, he suddenly didn't know what to do.

"Well?" she asked when Sirius was quiet for too long. "Are you going to come here and help me out of them, or do I have to come to you?"

Sirius's jaw dropped at her invitation, and before either of them had a chance to reconsider, he was scooting to the end of the bed. Spreading his thighs, he pulled her by the waist to stand between them, her breasts level with his head as looked up at her.

"I was an idiot," he whispered harshly, the situation becoming a little more real now he had her in his arms.

Hermione smiled softly and rested her hands on his shoulders.

"Yes, you were. But then I was one, too. I'm sorry," she said.

"Not half a sorry as I am. To think, we could have been fucking like rabbits for the last few hours," he murmured, unable to resist kissing a trail between her breasts, laving the sensitive skin with his tongue.

"I don't want to think about 'what ifs'," she moaned, her head dropping back, "I want 'what nows'."

"And what do you want right now, Granger?" he whispered harshly, gaining confidence at her uninhibited responses to his touch.

"I want you," she said, and she glanced down at him before her eyes flashed and she pushed him back against the bed. "But first, we talk."

Sirius blinked. Did she just...? Was she really...? _Now_?

But there she was, standing in front of him in lingerie and leather boots that screamed for him to fuck her senseless, and her hands were on her hips, her face held a defiant look and she was backing away from him.

"What the hell?!" he shouted, trying to figure out how he could possibly be both infuriated and hopelessly aroused by the wanton little minx in front of him.

She gave a throaty laugh.

"You really didn't think it would be that easy, did you?" she asked, flicking her wrist and sending him spinning on the bed, his head up against the pillows as his arms were suddenly, inexplicably immovable at his sides. He glanced up at her, trying to figure out what was going through her head, when she sat primly at his side, crossing her legs and looking down at him.

"We're going to play a little game of 'truth or dare'," she said, a deceptively-serene smile on her face. "I'm going to ask you a question, and I dare you to lie to me."

Her eyes flashed and he swallowed hard.

"Alright," he croaked.

"Question one - when you fell on top of me yesterday, did you seriously not know who I was?"

Sirius swallowed again.

"No, I didn't."

Her eyes narrowed.

"Question two - when you walked away from me back when I was fifteen, did you walk away because you were afraid you were going to kiss me?"

"I...yes."

A spark ignited in her eyes again.

"Question three - when you kissed me last night, did you want to sleep with me?"

"Yes."

"And when you walked away from me this morning, was it because you had changed your mind?"

"No."

"Then why?"

She was working very hard to mask the vulnerability on her face, but he could see through her attempts. He had hurt her with his actions and he still wasn't one hundred percent certain why he did it in the first place. The one thing he _did_ know, however, was that he had never been so turned on in his life then when she stood in front of him, a thin piece of glass between them, caressing her own wet body.

It had been an image that had burned itself onto his brain.

"I walked away from you because I wanted you so much that it scared me," he said slowly, trying to make sense of it even as he spoke. "You are a phenomenal woman, Hermione, and the way I feel...they way I've felt for years, really...when you've been around, it scares me."

Her eyes softened slightly.

"Years?"

He nodded.

"You're not just a one-night-stand for me, Hermione, and I have to get used to that."

For a moment she looked like she was going to let him go, but in a second that softness was gone and she stood.

"I don't think I can forgive you," she said, walking to the foot of the bed and looking down at him.

"What?" he asked, uncomprehending.

A smirk formed on her face.

"I don't think I can forgive you...yet," she added, her tongue holding the 't' sound in a way that Sirius would have never thought to be erotic from anyone but her.

"Wha...what do I have to do to get your forgiveness?" he asked.

Her smirk broadened and a flick of her wrist had him naked and still motionless on his bed as she came around to the side of the bed, kneeling on it and throwing one, smooth, leather-boot-clad leg over his hips and settling herself on his waist, her firm butt grazing against his erection. He groaned, trying to buck his hips to gain friction, but she chuckled, moving away and leaning down so her lips were inches from his.

"I told you, Sirius...I haven't forgiven you yet," she said, clicking her teeth.

"So you're just going to leave me like this?" he asked, his eyes wide as he imagined an unsuspecting Harry or Ginny walking into the room to see him starkers on his bed and unable to move his limbs.

"Oh no...you've got to earn it."

"How?"

She leaned in, looking into his eyes before leaning in to his ear.

"You're going to have to _beg_ for it," she whispered.

Sirius flicked his eyes to hers, his own gray eyes burning fire in spite of the less-than-equitable situation he was in.

"Like hell," he hissed. "I don't beg for _anyone_."

She smiled.

"We'll see," she said simply before nipping at his chin and throwing her leg back to join the other, hopping off the bed.

"I can't tell you how long I've waited to have your hands on me," she said as she sauntered over to the window, running her fingers down her sides and hooking her thumbs into the top of her underwear and lowering them over her hips, letting them fall to the floor. Sirius swallowed hard at the sight of her firm, round butt. "There were nights when I would touch myself as I imagined the way your fingers felt on my skin." Her hands slid back up her sides and under her ribcage, cupping her breasts. "I always came so hard to fantasies of you, Sirius."

She went to unclasp her bra, glancing over her shoulder at him and smirking as she removed the piece of cloth and tossed it at him, turning back to face him with an arm over her chest and another over the apex of her thighs, hiding what she knew he was desperate to see. The bra had landed on his stomach, and she smirked as he glanced down at it, his erection twitching.

"You know, Charlie used to love my breasts," she continued, slowly moving her arms so he could see the beautiful bare body he had admired earlier that day, cupping her breasts as she surveyed them mildly. "He said that I had the softest skin, too. Wanna feel?" she teased, taking a step toward the bed and kneeling once again upon the mattress. She crawled toward him, her breasts hanging down, and swung her hair over her shoulder as she placed one hand on either side of his head, her breasts swinging in front of his face but not near enough for him to reach.

Sirius gritted his teeth, but stayed silent.

"Don't you want to taste them Sirius? Feel your lips wrapped around my nipples... sucking... biting..." she breathed, lowering her arms a fraction so that her breast brushed against the side of his cheek lightly. Sirius inhaled sharply, but didn't take the bait.

She chuckled, seeing his resistance as more of a challenge than a hindrance. Pulling her chest away from his face, she backed down the bed so that they were eye to eye once more.

"There is no point denying me, Sirius. You will beg," she whispered against his lips, the wet cushions touching his just once before she pulled back again. The only indication he was affected was the rapid rise and fall of his chest, otherwise he continued to stare resolutely forward.

Biting her full bottom lip, she moved down again, breathing heavily against his neck, darting her tongue out to swipe a bead of water left from his damp hair. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down, but still he didn't move and didn't make a sound.

She followed the trail of water to his ear, gently biting on the lobe before whispering:

"I can't wait to feel you inside of me, big and strong, filling me so full I can't think. I need you."

"Then have me," he ground out, feeling the tips of her breasts brush against the course hairs of his chest moments before she pulled back again to look at him.

"I will...when you beg," she repeated, moving lower again, her leather-clad calves brushing against his as she moved.

"Never," he replied, feeling her stop just before her wet heat brushed against his weeping head. He had never felt so aroused, so erect in his life. The woman had barely touched him and he was ready to promise her the world. It was taking every ounce of strength he possessed not to beg her.

She sat up, straddling him and she shook her head, still smiling.

"You really shouldn't make promises you can't keep," she said, bringing her hands to rest at the tops of her thighs.

Sirius shook his head, tempted to close his eyes, but not willing to miss a moment of what he was certain she was about to do.

Hermione was never one to disappoint, smirking down at him with a knowing grin as her hands trailed lightly up her sides. Once again she cupped her breasts, this time moaning and dropping her head back in pleasure.

"Feels so good," she sighed, tweaking her nipples.

Sirius gulped again and licked his suddenly dry lips, his erection twitching against her rounded backside with each pinch of the delicate pink buds. She played with them for long minutes, sighing and moaning, her hips starting a slow grinding dance as she tormented her body.

When her eyes started to drift closed with pleasure she shifted one hand down her torso, fingers brushing against her rib cage before finding the neatly trimmed thatch of curls. Sirius's eyes followed the movement, wanting it to be his tongue instead, but sticking by his vow. Hermione took in the unrestrained need marring his features and plunged one finger between her folds.

She gasped and arched her whole back, her breasts thrust out, her head thrown back.

"Sirius!" she cried.

"Wouldn't you rather that finger be mine?" he asked harshly, unable to keep silent a moment longer.

"Is that you begging?" she moaned, moving her hand to circle the tight bundle of nerves.

"No, just a question. Wouldn't you rather that be me, with my fingers, my tongue, my cock," he whispered, watching her motions with breathless anticipation.

She ground down on his stomach as a wave of pure sensation washed over her.

"It can be," she gasped, taking her hand from her breast to rest it against his chest, using his body for support as she tried to bring herself to a climax.

"I know what you are going to do," he said, feeling her wet fingers brush dangerously close to his throbbing erection, her movements becoming uncontrolled and careless. "You want me to watch you do this, see you cum all over again," he whispered, seeing the effect his low voice had on her.

"Yesss..." she hissed, her eyes locked on his as her chest began to heave.

"And then when I finally beg, you will let me go," he continued, seeing her nod, her hair falling around her head in a riot of curls. "And you will leave," he concluded.

Hermione didn't reply, her panting becoming harsh, her fingers becoming a blur as she dropped her hand from his chest to rest her forearm on the mattress beside his body. Her breasts lay cushioned against his chest, her head tucked in to the crook of his shoulder as she moaned.

"Sirius!" she cried again, her mouth latching on to the strained cords of his neck as her whole body went stiff over him.

"That's it, baby," he found himself whispering, moments before her body heaved as she bucked wildly with release.

He had to grit his teeth once again as she sagged against him, her body slack with satisfaction, her back still heaving as she fought to catch her breath. After several quiet moments where the only sound in the room was their shared breaths, she pulled back to stare down at his again.

Sirius was certain he had never seen anything so sexy in his life. Her face was flushed, her eyes shone with wild abandon and her hair practically screamed 'sex'. Her wet lips parted as she stared down at him, waiting for the words his brain screamed at him not to say, but his body had other ideas.

"You do this to me Sirius, only you," she whispered finally, running her hands up and down his tattooed chest as if she couldn't help herself.

"I can do more to you," he choked out, finding his voice.

She chuckled softly, lifting her leg shakily off his hips to fall beside him, her finger tracing his nipple as she draped one leather-clad leg over his hip in an intimate embrace.

"You know the magic word," she quipped.

She let her chin fall on his chest for a moment as they both lay in silence. Sirius mind was whirring. He had felt the charms on his arms weaken as her mind had been distracted by the torture she was giving her body. He wondered if he concentrated enough, would he be able to…?

"Ah ah ah," she purred in his ear. "You _almost_ had me, Mr. Black. _Almost_."

And just like that, Sirius felt his arms move from his sides to above his head, forcing him to bend slightly at the elbow as his wrists locked together. She smirked as he struggled slightly, his patience with the entire situation wearing thin as he felt her warm body press against his.

"I think that not giving you anything isn't enough of an incentive," Hermione breathed in his ear, nipping at his lobe again before trailing her tongue down his chin, nipping at his lower lip.

"You underestimated me," Sirius said, looking at her as she started to trail light kisses down his neck and chest. "I don't suppose you think a little change is going to make me _beg_, do you?"

She let out another throaty chuckle that had his body immediately screaming at his mind to stop being so bloody stubborn and just _give in_ already.

"Baby," she said, her teeth grazing over one nipple before nipping over to the other. "I _know_ it will."

She kissed down his stomach to where his pride stood, erect and twitching under her hungry eye. She looked up at him, licking her lips before straddling his legs, her mouth just inches from the heart-shaped head of his cock. He stopped breathing as he saw her lean in and take a slow, lingering lap at him.

His body had been so tense, and his cock had been left unattended for so long, that the simple contact had his back arching off the bed, his hips bucking toward her. Laughing, Hermione pulled away, smiling at the pink colour that was slowly starting to creep onto Sirius's face.

"Little girl," he rasped, his eyes blazing but finding his control slipping. "Is that the best you can do?"

She smirked and ducked down, her breath hot on his length as she blew soft puffs of warm air all along the side of his cock, causing him to shiver at the light contact. She paused when she got to his hip, taking a lick at the line of skin where his thigh met his hip, so close to where he wanted her lips but so far.

Sirius remained silent as she repeated this action on the other side, her hands creeping slowly up his thighs before pausing, caressing the soft flesh just inches from him and driving him absolutely insane with every moment that passed. She smiled, taking a finger and running it from the base of his cock to the tip, circling it before she took another long, lingering lap at him.

"Shit!" Sirius groaned as his hips bucked and once again she sat up. Crawling up his body, she lined herself so he could once more feel her wet heat so close over his cock. He was panting now, her eyes burning into him as she conveyed her desire for him in one look. She wasn't going to go away after he said it - she wouldn't be able to.

"Sirius," she whispered, her lips so close to his own. "Beg."

"Yesss," he hissed as she lowered her hips a fraction, the small thatch of curls rubbing against him. "Hermione...I beg you...I need to be inside you...Please..."

Her lips crashed down on his just as she sank her hips onto his, impaling herself upon his hard length. He cried out, her hot, wet, tight walls murder around him and sensations made his body shake as lights burst in front of his eyes. He was beyond caring about anything but his own pleasure at this point, and as he felt her free his arms, he brought them around her body, rolling them so he was on top of her.

"You, little witch," he growled, hiking her legs up to his shoulders. "Don't know what you've just gotten yourself into."

"Fuck me, Sirius," she moaned, gripping the sheets beneath her as the angle had him sliding into her body deeper, slamming against the spot that had her melting before him. "Fuck me hard."

Sirius let loose a torrent of curses he had rarely ever used as he buried himself over and over again within the writhing, willing witch. His body thrummed as he thrust harder and harder into her, his hand holding on to her leather-clad legs for leverage as he pistoned himself deeper and deeper. And she moaned with every thrust - her body gripping him with every penetration - and her back arched each time he rolled his hips and hit her g-spot.

"Holy shit, Sirius..." she moaned, her eyes closed as he grasped her hands and slammed them above her head, his body almost bending hers completely but knowing, somehow, that she could take it - that she revelled in it, even.

"See what happens," he breathed, thrusting faster as he felt his peak closing in on him. "See what happens when you toy with me?"

Her eyes flew open, glaring at him with a fiery heat.

"See what happens when you toy with _me_?" she countered.

There was a second of silence between them, the only sound being the rhythmic, frantic slap of skin on skin as he fucked her none-too-gently. But her eyes told him she loved it - had yearned for it - and now she was getting exactly what she had waited almost 6 years for.

Him.

"Oh _fuck_...Sirius...oh _God_!" Hermione screamed, arching her back and writhing against him as she came with a long, harsh cry, her body tensing painfully around him and drawing him deeper into her body.

"Sweet _Merlin…_" Sirius groaned, his body dropping slightly as his pleasure hit him hard. The feeling of her walls gripping him so extremely pulled him over the edge and he let her legs drop, tugging her head up to meet his in an explosive kiss as he pumped his seed within her, his stomach tense and his body overcome with sensations he had never felt before.

She clung to him as the kiss turned from fiery to simple passion, their orgasms lingering as their sweat slicked their skin. Sirius wrapped his arms around her tightly, drawing her back down to the bed but refusing to leave the sweet seduction of her lips. He was addicted now. Pure and simple. No one night stand - he would have no one but her, and she could have no one but him.

Hermione was the first to pull away, a high, exhilarated laugh overcoming her, fuelled by the euphoria brought on by their coupling. She now understood the saying 'good things come to those who wait' so much better. Sirius's low chuckles joined hers a moment later, using his weight to roll them to their sides, facing each other.

She looked at him, shaking her head.

"It's any wonder women line up to be with you," she sighed, unable to resist pressing her lips to his again.

"Mm, that good huh?" he mumbled against her, tugging one of her boot clad legs over his hip, pulling her body closer.

"Worth every bit of the trouble," she replied, rubbing her breasts against his chest with another contented sigh, her eyes falling closed.

"You seemed to be enjoying yourself to me," he teased, unable to close his eyes and succumb to the sleep she seemed so close to gaining, wanting to drink in every detail of her face, all the way down to the fine smattering of freckles across her nose.

She smiled, the corners of her eyes crinkling.

"So did you," she replied, her breathing starting to even out.

He waited until she was just on the edge of sleep, reaching down between them to locate the zippers down the backs of the boots, tugging at them until they thumped dully at the end of the bed. She wriggled her toes against his calves and flexed her feet.

He couldn't help himself when he leant in close to whisper.

"Shame Moony had to hear the whole thing though."

Her eyes flew open, panic making her heart pound against his chest.

"Oh my…" she started to breath, her mouth opening and closing comically.

Sirius held on to his laughter for as long as he could, before his whole body shook with mirth.

"Just kidding," he grinned, "I learnt long ago to put up a permanent silencing charm."

"I'm going to kill you," she hissed, pushing him to his back as he continued to laugh.

"It was very lax of you to forget though," he continued, gripping her hands and flipping her to her back, using his lower body pin him there.

"That's not funny!"

"Sure it is, you thought you could pull one over on this old dog. Well, you were wrong," he baited, looking smug as he leant down to steal a kiss.

"Oh yeah?" she asked when he pulled away, panting and flushed, feeling arousal set in all over again. "Well, I forgot to take my contraceptive potion," she countered with an evil grin.

It was Sirius turn to stare down at her comically before he realized Hermione was almost convulsing with laughter beneath him.

"Just kidding," she laughed, using his earlier words.

"I'm going to get you for that, witch," he growled, grinding his hips into hers, making her gasp. "By the time I am done with you, you will be begging me."

She stared up at him with challenge, and lifting her head she kissed him roughly.

"I don't beg," she countered.

Sirius looked down at her with a smirk and wondered again how he could have resisted her for so long.

"We'll see," was all he said before he proceeded to make her beg for the rest of the night and well in to the morning.

* * *

_Thanks for Reading!__  
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